The Meaning of Job 16:9 Explained

Job 16:9

KJV: He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

YLT: His anger hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.

Darby: His anger teareth and pursueth me; he gnasheth with his teeth against me; as mine adversary he sharpeneth his eyes at me.

ASV: He hath torn me in his wrath, and persecuted me; He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth: Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He teareth  [me] in his wrath,  who hateth  me: he gnasheth  upon me with his teeth;  mine enemy  sharpeneth  his eyes  upon me. 

What does Job 16:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 16:1-22 - Turning From "miserable Comforters" Unto God
With bitterness the sufferer turns from his comforters to God. As the r.v. makes clear, he says that if he were in their place and they in his, instead of joining words together and evincing the pride of the immaculate, he would set himself to speak strengthening words and to assuage their grief by tender sympathy.
He compares his pains to the attack of a wild beast, Job 16:7-14; and from this he proceeds to describe the anguish of his grief, Job 16:15-20. But toward the end of the chapter a new thought begins to shape itself; and from his lowest despair he catches sight of a Vindicator and a vindication that must someday be his. Job 16:21 should be read as in the r.v., margin. Job wanted a son of man to plead for him; and his prayer has been more than answered in the Son of man, who pleads for us "not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an indissoluble life," Hebrews 7:16. "O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul," Lamentations 3:58. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 16

1  Job reproves his friends for unmercifulness
17  He maintains his innocence

What do the individual words in Job 16:9 mean?

In His wrath He tears [me] and hates me He gnashes at me with His teeth My adversary sharpens His gaze on me
אַפּ֤וֹ טָרַ֨ף ׀ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי חָרַ֣ק עָלַ֣י בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו צָרִ֓י ׀ יִלְט֖וֹשׁ עֵינָ֣יו לִֽי

אַפּ֤וֹ  In  His  wrath 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
טָרַ֨ף ׀  He  tears  [me] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָרַף  
Sense: to tear, rend, pluck.
וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי  and  hates  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׂטַם  
Sense: to hate, oppose oneself to, bear a grudge, retain animosity against, cherish animosity against.
חָרַ֣ק  He  gnashes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָרַק  
Sense: (Qal) to gnash, grind (the teeth).
עָלַ֣י  at  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו  with  His  teeth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁן  
Sense: tooth, ivory.
צָרִ֓י ׀  My  adversary 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.
יִלְט֖וֹשׁ  sharpens 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָטַשׁ  
Sense: to sharpen, hammer, whet.
עֵינָ֣יו  His  gaze 
Parse: Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
לִֽי  on  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular